


Stay

by Angelophany



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friends With Benefits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 22:19:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15672411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelophany/pseuds/Angelophany
Summary: Reader is Rick’s younger sister and has been friends with benefits with Shane for the last four years. She visits Rick’s one day to find Shane has a new girlfriend. How will this affect their relationship?





	1. Chapter 1

You and Shane Walsh had been friends with benefits for the best part of four years - and it was great. There was one tiny problem though, you were Rick’s younger sister. Rick didn’t know of course but it still made it hard for you and Shane to see each other. You visited your brother and his family annually; birthdays, holidays, family parties mostly. Those were the only times you got to see Shane too. With his job and the distance between the two of you, you both decided just to stay friends and have fun. Anything serious just wouldn’t work. It was Carl’s birthday this weekend and you were ashamed to admit you were most looking forward to seeing Shane. 

As usual, Lori was there to pick you up from the airport. You and Lori had always gotten along, even if you didn’t always agree with her, you’d become friends for your brothers sake. Your friendship with her didn’t stray far from the Grimes household though. She was also none the wiser to your relationship with Shane, which you were thankful for. You doubt she’d be able to keep her mouth shut if she found out. 

“So, how’s things these days (Y/N)?” She asked you on the drive to your brothers.

“Rick’s been asking if I knew anything about your new boyfriend.” She laughed.

“New boyfriend?” You almost choked.

“Yeah, Carl showed him that photo you posted with the flowers.”

Flowers from Shane, you remembered. You’d posted them on your Facebook to show him that you’d gotten them safely. Sunflowers and red roses. 

“Oh those.” You laughed. “Those were from my best friend, she thought it’d be funny to pretend to be my secret admirer.” 

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “I think Rick was hoping you’d have someone to bring over this year.”

“Why’s he suddenly so interested in my love life?” You asked her. 

Lori started chuckling. “I think he’s convinced you’re into girls and just too afraid to tell him.” 

“What?!” 

“I know right.”

“I can’t believe that.” You laughed.

“When did he turn into dad all of sudden.”

The two of you laughed about old memories and caught up on each other’s lives for the rest of the drive, falling into a comfortable silence when you pulled up at the Grimes’ house. 

“Aunt (Y/N) you’re here!” Carl came running out of the house to greet you. 

“Look at you!” You pulled him into a bear hug. “You’re getting so big.” 

“I’m gonna be 8 tomorrow (Y/N).” He told you, pulling back from the hug. “I’m not little anymore.”

“I know Carl.” You laughed, ruffling his hair. “Where’s your dad?”

“He’s out with uncle Shane. He thinks I don’t know but I know he’s out buying more stuff for my party tomorrow.” He told you excitedly.

Shane. You wanted to text him and tell him you were here but you knew better since he was out with your brother. 

“And how would you know that?” You raised an eyebrow at him giving him a playful look. 

“C’mon aunt (Y/N), he hides my presents in the same place every year and I know he doesn’t have my balloons and stuff yet.” Carl shrugged. 

“You sneaky little boy.” You laughed.

“Just wait until I tell your father.”

You grabbed your suitcase from the back of Lori’s car and made your way into the house.

“Wait please don’t! He’ll move them and I won’t get to peak anymore.” Carl begged, running after you. 

“Carl! No running in the house.” Lori hollered from outside. 

“Wait, if your dads out with Shane then who’s keeping an eye on you Carl?” You asked him, setting down your suitcase in the hallway. 

“Oh Je-“

“There you are!” A woman cut him off. “I didn’t know where you got to Carl, don’t do that.” 

The woman, you assumed was Carl’s babysitter, looked nothing like one. Bleached blonde hair and a skimpy little outfit you noted. She had to be at least 30 too. 

“I see you’ve met Jessica.” Lori said as she entered the house. “Jess this is (Y/N), Rick’s sister I was telling you about.” Then she turned to you. “(Y/N) this is Jess, Shane’s girlfriend. She agreed to watch Carl while the guys are out.”

Wait what? Shane had a girlfriend? Like a full on serious girlfriend. Why didn’t he tell you? You knew there was no code to being friends with benefits; there was no strings attached, just hooks ups and you could still see other people. But Shane having a girlfriend. That was news to you. In the whole time you’d known Shane he’d never been in a serious relationship. He’d date and hook up with women but he never ever got serious with any of them. 

You had to admit, you were kind of hurt. You were looking forward to seeing Shane but you didn’t think you’d be able to face him now. Sure, you were happy he’d finally found someone to be serious with and you’d be nice to the girl, but you couldn’t help feel a little niggle of jealousy. 

Turning to ‘Jess’ you offered her your best smile. “Shane’s girlfriend then, I can’t imagine that’s easy.” You laughed, hoping to sound as genuine as you could.

“It’s definitely not easy but so worth it.” She giggled. 

‘I know all about it.’ You thought to yourself.

“Well it was nice meeting you Jess.” You told her before turning to Lori. “I’m just gonna go freshen up a bit, I feel all gross from my flight.” 

“Sure, you know where everything is.” She smiled.

Lori, Jess and Carl headed to the kitchen leaving you to grab your case and make your way upstairs. 

You didn’t really need to freshen up that much but you just wanted to be on your own for a little while. The bleach blonde downstairs seemed nice enough but the news had left you a little queasy and she did nothing to ease the feeling. You didn’t even understand why it bothered you so much, Shane and you had agreed you’d never take things further. So why were you so upset? 

You opened the door to the spare room and set your suitcase on the bed. Sitting down next to it you sighed. It was going to be a long weekend. You opened your suitcase and began to unpack. You’d packed your best lingerie specifically for Shane but figuring you’d have no use for it now you tucked it back into the zip in your case. Pulling out the rest of your clothes you hung them in the closet and set your toiletries on the small dresser beside it. “Fuck it.” You muttered to yourself and grabbed your toiletry bag and headed to the bathroom. You might not be seeing Shane tonight but that didn’t mean you couldn’t go out and have fun. 

After your shower you towel dried your hair, your hair was naturally curly so with a bit of product you could have it looking good. You moisturised your skin and picked out one of your cutest dresses. You were having dinner with the family later so you’d wear flats for now and switch to heels afterwards. After you applied a little makeup you stood and checked your outfit in the full length mirror that was in the corner of the room. You looked pretty great.

You found yourself comparing your appearance to Jess’. You were complete opposites in every aspect. Your hair was natural where hers clearly wasn’t, she wore far too much make up where you only applied what was needed to accentuate your natural features. She wore revealing clothes that seemed two sizes too small and you preferred cute summer dresses that were mature yet playful. You wondered what Shane saw in her but you figured it wasn’t your place to judge. After slipping on your sandals and having one last look in the mirror, you left your room and made your way to the stairs. Just as you reached the bottom of the stairs your phone buzzed.

It was Shane.

‘Are we still on for tonight? X - S’

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was only supposed to be a two part fic but this one got away from me and I couldn't stop writing so I'm going to be splitting this chapter into two, making this a three part story. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please, feedback is greatly appreciated!
> 
> **There may be spelling or grammar mistakes here as I haven't checked through properly but I just wanted to get this out there!**

Shane rubbed a sweaty palm up and down his thigh as he hit the send button. (Y/N) had been the only thing on his mind since Rick had told him she was staying over this weekend, It was Carl's birthday and as usual Rick had him on a last minute shop for party supplies. Shane loved it when (Y/N) stayed over at Rick's, not only because the two of them had fun together, but when she was there Shane felt somewhat normal. It wasn't a secret that he had a reputation with women, and he'd often lie and cheat his way into another's bed, but with her it was different. There was no act he had to play to win her over, no mask he had to wear to shield his emotions. They'd known each other years, almost as long as he'd known Rick, so they were nothing but real with each other. The only problem was that even though between them it was complete honesty, their relationship was unknown to everybody else. Shane was Rick's best friend and (Y/N) his sister. They'd sworn to secrecy as a way to avoid complicating things; telling any of the family wouldn't go down well and was sure to confuse Carl, who'd think they were together for real. He doubted Rick would be happy with his best friend and sister having sex. so a secret it stayed. Being friends with benefits wasn't planned but neither of them made a move to stop it, and Shane would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy her company and the 'benefits' their relationship brought. It was supposed to be just that anyway, until (Y/N)'s visit last year when Shane felt something change.

That night together was the night he'd noticed the freckle on her thigh and how she giggled after she came. He saw her in a whole new light after that. She'd left his house with a smile and Shane almost stopped her from leaving, wanting to ask her to stay, to be his. When Rick had told him she was on her flight home the next morning he felt confused, relieved maybe, and then life went on as normal. A couple of weeks later he met Jessica and the first couple of times they had sex he'd imagined she was (Y/N). Turned out he enjoyed the blonde's company and (Y/N) no longer occupied his mind. His nights were less lonely and he got used to having someone to come home to. As Jess lay on him sleeping, 3 months into their relationship, his thoughts wandered to  _her,_ knowing she'd be back in town soon. He knew she'd want to see him and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He had Jess now sure, but seeing (Y/N) again was sure to stir up some feelings he'd rather not think about. The more he thought the more confused he became, he didn't want to play to the two girls against each other, but he wanted them both. He adored (Y/N) and was pretty sure he loved her, but he knew their arrangement and it worked. Jess was there when (Y/N) hadn't been, and she'd now taken up the title of girlfriend, having met Rick and Lori. She'd introduced herself as Shane's girl when they'd been invited to Rick's for dinner and he didn't have the heart to correct her. For months that how it was, dinner with the Grimes', date nights and going out as a couple. She even had a key to his house, out of convenience for him mostly, but it was still a huge step.

As he sat in Rick's car, he thought back to everything that had happened this year and wondered what had changed in (Y/N)'s life. The thought of her having met someone made his blood run cold with jealousy but as quick as the feeling had come he scoffed it off. Who was he to be jealous, he has Jess, he reminded himself. Still, he'd text (Y/N) asking if they were still on for meeting tonight. He wanted to see her. He needed to know if he'd still  _feel_ with her around.

***

You stared down at your phone in your lap as you sat at the dinner table with Lori. Rick had come back an hour ago, declaring he'd saved the day and Carl would just love his surprise for the party tomorrow. He was now in the living room with Carl, playing a video game he'd gotten off Jess as an early birthday present. She was nice, you couldn't help but admit, and she got on well with your brother and his family. 

"You okay?" Lori asked, looking over at you with a frown. Your eyes were still glued to your phone and she followed them.

You sighed and looked up. "You ever been upset about something you've got no right to be upset about? And you know you shouldn't be but it still hurts?"

She chuckled. "(Y/N), I believe that's perfectly normal." Taking a sip of her wine she eyed you knowingly. "He doesn't deserve you anyway."

Your stomach lurched. She didn't know did she? 

"How did you know it was a guy?" You asked her nervously.

"It's obvious hon', you keep staring at that phone like its gonna blow up." She stood from the table and moved to your side, placing her hand on your shoulder so she could lean in closer. "He's a fool (Y/N). I've seen the way you two are together and I don't know what's gone on but I know a man in love when I see one. Jess is nice and all, but she ain't you." And with that she left you at the table, mouth agape and heart pounding.

After seeing Shane last year you'd known something had changed. You'd left feeling like something was missing but it wasn't until you'd boarded your plane that you realized what. It was Shane. Over the years together the two of you had grown closer, your whole friends with benefits things happened but it had been kept as just that. You never saw each other often enough for it to turn into something more, but your last night with Shane had been something else. It was desperate almost. You'd clung to each other like it was the last time you'd be together, kisses weren't as sloppy or rushed as they usually were in the mist of removing each others clothes and afterwards you had cuddled and fell asleep together. When the time to leave came you almost hesitated, doubting he'd feel the same though you put on your best smile and hugged him goodbye. Looking back now you wished you'd done things differently, stayed, told him how you felt about him, that you wanted more, you wanted him. It was too late now, despite was Lori had just said, he was still with Jess and you didn't want to ruin that. 

Tipping back the last of your drink you rose from the table and made your way to the living room. 

"Rick, you mind if I go out for a few? There's some friends I wanna' see, feels like its been too long y'know?" You chuckled, hoping he would buy it. Truth was you were going straight to the club for a drink, you needed to clear your head.

"Sure sis' just remember the party's at 11 tomorrow 'kay? I want you fresh in the morning, gonna need a lot of help wrangling up these kids." He ruffled Carl's hair and gave you a cheeky smile.

"I got it!" You told him with mock enthusiasm. You grabbed your purse from the sideboard and slid your phone in. Shane can wait. Tonight you were going to have some fun. "Bye guys!"

-

The club was packed when you got there. The music pumped loudly and the dancefloor was full of sweaty bodies, all gyrating together like one big pulsing wave. You cringed at the sight and pushed through the crowd until you reached the bar.

"Double Jack with ice, please." You called to the bartender before taking a seat on one of the empty stools. 

"Sure thing, sweet'"

You took another look around the club now that you were seated. The lights were harsh and the music hurt your ears but it was distracting you from the reason you came. Tonight you weren't going to think about him, you were going to have fun and dance with strangers and think of anything but. You scanned the dancefloor for a familiar face, anyone would do. You knew quite a few people in this town, being the Sherriff's sister and all, and had made a few good friends along the years. You were sure to bump into somebody you knew tonight.

Turning back to the bar, as the bartender handed you your drink, you payed and took a sip. Your thoughts drifted to Carl's party tomorrow and your heart raced at the thought of seeing Shane and having to pretend like nothing had changed. Maybe you should come clean to your brother, it would certainly make things less awkward, and it wasn't like he could get angry and do anything about it now could he? He'd probably guess something was up with the two of you and he'd wonder why, you'd have to lie and say everything was fine when it would be obvious to just about everyone that it wasn't. Lori already knew, kind of, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. God, you were thinking about him. Okay (Y/N) stop! Just drink your drink and find someone to dance with.

***

Shane was confused. He hadn't heard back from (Y/N) yet and was starting to worry, she'd always replied to his texts. He'd sent another asking if she was okay and asked her again if they could meet because he wanted to talk.  Still no reply. He was almost tempted to call Rick to ask him if she was okay, to ask her if she'd been getting his messages, but there was no way that wouldn't raise suspicion. Lori might be easier, he thought. God, what was he doing. He got up from his sofa and paced around the living room floor. Jess was at her own home tonight. When Shane had picked her up from Rick's after their shopping trip he'd asked her if he could have the night alone tonight and she didn't seem to mind. She understood he was a man who needed space from time to time, but for Shane it was time spent thinking about (Y/N). He felt guilty doing it in Jess' company so he'd make up an excuse for needing space, a lie about something that happened at work, and she'd go home. He'd feel awful afterwards but he kept it up. Tonight was one of those nights. He stopped pacing to check his phone. No new messages.

"Fuck!" He shouted, throwing his phone onto the couch. He needed a drink.

***

Three whiskeys later and the music no longer felt too loud - your body hummed as the bass filtered through the club. You hadn't spotted anyone you knew but that wouldn't stop you from having a good night. Setting your empty glass down on the bar, you grabbed your purse from your lap and headed to the dancefloor. You weaved your way through the crowd and found a spot in the middle, away from smooching couples, as a new song began to play. You recognized it as 'Ride' by Ciara and swore internally as you remembered the time you'd danced to this song for Shane. Cursing the DJ for choosing this song you shrugged it off and began to move your body to the beat. As you were twirling your hips you noticed you were getting a few stares from the men in the crowd and usually you'd have something to say but tonight it only spurred you on. You sent a sly smile their way as the song picked up and you raised your arms slowly to the air and wound your body around in time to the beat. You weren't sure if it the was whiskey, the attention from the men or the memories this song brought but you were giving it your all. A crowd had gathered around to watch. You laughed and threw your head back as the chorus came back around for a final time and you rolled your hips towards the floor before slowly bringing them back up. When the song ended the club erupted in cheers and whistles and it was only then you realized how into it you were. With a slight blush and a shy smile you made to move back to the bar when a hand on your forearm stopped you. 

"Ya' were even better than I remembered." He drawled, his voice raising goosebumps on your skin. You didn't even have to turn to know who it was - his touch alone would have told you.

You sucked in a breath and turned to face him. His brown eyes seemed black as he stared down at you, his hand still on your arm but gentler now. "How long have you been here?" You sputtered.

"Long enough." He smirked, his eyes still dark and fixed on your own. 

God you'd missed him. His gaze softened as he searched your face for a reaction before it dropped to scan your body. You saw his mouth twitch as he took in the sight of you in your dress, his eyes resting on your chest - slick with a thin coat of sweat from your performance. His tongue slipped out to wet his bottom lip and you'd almost forgot you came here to forget about him. Remembering that thought, you reluctantly shrugged out from his hold and took a step back. 

"Shouldn't you be at home," You quipped, "with your girlfriend." 

A flash of guilt ran over his face and you almost felt bad. "Actually, I wanted to talk to ya' about that." 

Ignoring his text messages was one thing, but when he's standing right in front of you looking like a damn puppy you couldn't deny him. No matter what happened, Shane was still your friend before anything. You cared for him deeply and knew deep down that the whole Jess thing wasn't something you could hold against him or hate him for. He wasn't yours to begin with. No matter how much you wanted him to be. The spark between the two of you was undeniable though and you knew the only way to sort this would be to talk it out.

"C'mon." You said, sending him a soft smile and holding your hand out for him to take. "Buy me a drink and we can talk."


End file.
